Morning Bell: Ensuring America’s Decline

Yesterday, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates gave one of the most sweeping speeches of the Post-Cold War era on American national security. Building off themes established in the 2008 National Defense Strategy written under President Bush, Secretary Gates presented what he described as “a budget crafted to reshape the priorities of America’s defense establishment. … a holistic assessment of capabilities, requirements, risks, and needs for the purpose of shifting this department in a different strategic direction.”

Following this theme, Gates said yesterday that America’s “conventional modernization goals should be tied to the actual and prospective capabilities of known future adversaries, not by what might be technological feasible for a potential adversary given unlimited time and resources.” This contention is fundamentally flawed. A defense budget, especially one that attempts such a fundamental strategic shift, cannot afford to be tied to the present and “prospective” threats America faces. The unpredictability of future events combined with the decades-long cycles it takes to buy sophisticated military equipment means that the U.S. must plan for the future with a focus on the core capabilities the nation will need to remain prepared for any type of future military operation.

Should the defense budget Obama submitted to Congress be implemented along with the many ill-advised cuts outlined by Gates, America’s ability to project power throughout the global commons and maintain its military primacy across the spectrum will be doubted by friend and foe alike. A narrowly-focused approach that looks only to the present and what we can hope to predict of the future is a strategy unbecoming of a nation that counts itself as the world’s indispensable nation. This path will ensure America becomes a declining military power.

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The Obama Administration does not want us to have a military capability! If you listened to the President in Europe, you would realize that President Obama and the Left want us (America) to kneel in the presence of the World as meek lambs for all the strife that we (The United States) have caused to the World. The first order of the United Socialist States of America is to recognize that we are the "problem" with the World and we must take blame.

We are seeing a Great Change on the horizon – the "change" that the People voted for last November. This is what comes from voting with your feelings instead of your brain.

I said, yesterday, that a negative approach will not dampen the democrat destruction of America. We will save this country only by removing the present administration, and returning conservative action, values and beliefs, to power our government.

Dear Morning Bell: It has alway's been clear that to be Free you must fight for what is right.It is true that we have reached another era.Soverigny of a nation is much more/ than World domination, and the control of money-ect. It is a moral law, that is established on principals- not written by the hand of a few individuals.It is located within the breast of mankind, to have the pride,and belief of a true purpose. not any entity can create peace, without embracing virtue that is real, and i will assure you here, and now, it does exist- to cut off the soul, of man from this belief, and all mandates of a free society, and World.Will bubble to the top, their intentions, and actions that speak louder than words.

Bad things will happen if we continue to "disarm" ourselves, and I can only hope there are enough congressmen still around who want to protect this country from the many enemies who would destroy our homeland in an instant. Remember, in the nuclear age you do NOT get a second chance to corect a FIRST mistake…God Help us..

How can we trust proposals coming out of the Defense Dept., when the Secretary of Defense is charged with coming up with budget cuts and proposals intended to support the President's political and social agenda rather than our National Defense?

It's about time! Let's not forget the Constitution charges the central government with "providing for the general welfare" as well as for the "common defense." Didn't we have enough hysteria during Reagan's years – even as the Soviet Union was collapsing from within? No, it was not their fear of Star Wars. Just read the history: if they were afraid of Star Wars, all they had to do was wait a few years for a new administration. The out-of-control defense spending needs to be balanced with the "general welfare," and now we are doing that. Our carrier and submarine fleet, as well as the R&D to meet the needs of our defense is well in hand, and I hope we will see the end to the "we're doomed with a weak defense" hysteria come to an end!

You don't think we are spending enough on the "general welfare"? We are spending less on defense as a percentage of GDP than under Jimmy Carter and it is only going down.

This is a moderated comments page but please sir get your facts somewhat close to reality.

My comment on the Heritage post – The Democrats believe the world hates us because of our wealth and superpower status. They want to build a military that is unable to project power plain and simple. They want to go to the UN and talk and build coalitions (not going to happen) and in the meantime the US gets weaker and weaker.

Obama said in the campaign that the US cannot consume 25% of the world's natural resources with only 5% of the population – not said was that we produce 25% of the world's wealth – and be respected around the world. He wants us to consume less the only way to accomplish this is by making us poorer!!

Is it something in the water? Doomers and gloomers have procreated quite well. It is not the end of time. It is not the end of US. It is a cabal of weak-minded and undisciplined citizens who have congregated in media, barking at the moon and guess what? Seems they have built a choir. Look to yourself for strength. Deny the 'Chick'n Littles' redemption.

You excel as a complainer, whiner, bellyacher, etc.,and I have yet to read any constructive, practicable programs that you would initiate if you were in high military office and both responsible and accountable for – in this case – our nation's defense. What is it that you know that Gates, et al. doesn't? What war game scenarios, strategies and tactics have you run based on the latest and best intelligence? What is it you know about our weapons' capabilities and communication systems that YOU would employ in the face of actual combat, and so on? I suspect you have an empty bag, that is, you know nothing of the above, and would be clueless in priority and budget balancing, and in the most effective and efficient way to spend our money. To the point: your anecdotal whining speaks volumes and in your case to be sure, you are without in everything. If you've got a "better idea," put it forth. If not, shut the bleep up!

That we will cease to be able to maintain out military edge is historically probable. This has happened ad infinitum through out recorded history. Instead of being right, any of us, we better start rallying behind something that repairs this country rather than tears it apart. A fool “knows what is right” and does nothing about it. A bigger tragedy is to not know what is right or which questions to ask! We need pray for guidance and listen to opposing view.

In WWII Standard Oil (Rockefeller) and General Motors had to be brought home under threat by FDR to send the Marines to nab their un-patriotic capitalist carcasses.

We will soon need to melt down our rifles to make bullets. Look to your nearest super patriot capitalist for help and see what you get!

We slept while the US & Global Capitalists shipped America overseas the last 40 years. Unfettered market rules ARE THE CULPRIT.

Maybe Phil Gramm should have dug a little deeper in his quote of Lincoln while foolishly commanding that only total unfettered capitalism can best benefit our Union. I counter Gramm with humble respect to President Lincoln: "Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration."

— December 3, 1861 – Lincoln's First Annual Message to Congress

We baby boomers have allowed corporate and Wall Street Globalists to ship the wealth earned by the UNIONIZED WWII generation overseas. In the largest transfer of generational wealth in history, we spent that generation’s legacy and needed more. Necessity being the mother of invention, we let the banks leverage us up to our greedy eyeballs. With our economic base liquidated to other countries, we made Japan and China our bankers, The Middle East our energy suppliers and third world countries provide our durable goods. And our 3rd largest American export today – Salvage!!! Now that’s a disposable economy you can believe in.

California needs to send Mr. Morales back to Mexico along with the rest of the welfare recipients. The F-22 program with all of its cost overruns wasn't able to line enough pocketbooks so they will try again with the F35. More planes equal more money in the pocketbooks of the current administration. When we get off of our knees begging the UN to hep-us we will be safer. The current administrators are first to go and the UN is next. Maybe the UN can set up in China since they wield so much power and have the military to back them up. Our military took a vital hit with the Clintons and received the death blow with Presb0. Forget spanish and start teaching chinese in school. When petty dictators like Chavez and Little Kimmy are allowed to run wild we just might as well join them and starve the masses into submission while our dictators play with the banks and auto industry. Forget the Constitution and implement the Declaration of Independance: That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Amen

Obama and his selected group are a remnant of the Peaceniks of the 60s-70s. The brains of that dope-smoking hippy cult must be devoid of rational thought. Clearly, they are not thinking things through in their daily declaration. We are stuck in a "Make Love, Not war" kind of mantra. A great concept, but hardly realistic during these times. And the consequences of all the "changes" will have long time detrimental repercussions.

MISSLE DEFENSELESS! With all due respect to Secretary Gates, our millitary should not be looking to cutting their budget,after all North Korea and Iran are pursuing the means to launch an attack against us or our allies and to cut any money going to our millitary is not good at a time when our own VP Joe Biden says this administation will be tested. Sometimes you have to show strength through actions not words to keep the peace.

That was a prophetic remark, alright: "General welfare", indeed. Our nation has allowed itself to be overwhelmed with the "what's yours is mine" mentality, and thereby dooming her security against the marauders, both foreign and domestic, who would seek her demise. Naturally, defense and even veterans spending will suffer so we can enhance socialism, pay for the costs of illegal immigration and encourage total dependency.

Richard M in California. Your quote of the U.S. Constitution's preamble is incorrect and misleading. What it states is "…provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare…" How does one ".. promote the general welfare"? By providing a secure environment so that commerce and personal liberty can thrive independent of government interference. How does one provide a secure environment? By having a well prepared national defence ready to counter any threat.

Cheer up comrades, the all most high is returning and all will be well..yeah,right. Start cutting defence and watch what happens. Government as we all know has two functions,to protect it's citizens from aggression and fraud. Chairman Obama has already shown that he is weak and he's about to take us down another slippery slope. It's very obvious that Obama nor anyone in his gang ever studied military history,if they had

WW1 and WW2 would have rung a bell. I suppose the new battle cry for the future will be "please don't hurt us".

The whole agenda of the current administration is to reduce the power of the powerful and give it freely to those that did not earn it. That is the intellectual pursuit of equality.

As usual it leaves out that actual evil exist despite strength or power and that reducing the strong does not compel evil to retreat nor does the envious to suddenly become tame.

Neutralizing Americas strength will reduce its identity and it's ability to defend itself and will create the need for it to capitulate to the UN. This is basically Obama's whole message; Surrender your wealth, surrender your earned value and surrender your ability to be free!

I the Obama, have you by the short hairs and you let me in the front door, should be his retort.

This is the first President I have seen, use his charisma to reduce America's financial value overnight, reduce our strengths in defending ourselves and dismantling the freedom of enterprise we once held so dear.

Stay tuned more to come. He has signaled his desire to destroy our way of life in every move he makes, and disguised them with words gleaming with rhetoric and opposing meaning with his cohorts in congress. I'm pretty frightened at what outcomes will arrive to all these destructive tendencies he is

PS: The last line of defense is an armed citizenry. This individual right having been recognized and guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment. I was surprised to learn that Obama did vote to allow disaster victims' to keep their firearms following Katrina. But I'm afraid this show of support was non-genuine and politically motivated. What is consistent is his accommodation of the far left congressional majority's agenda and his activist cabinet members.

This idiot is going to cut the F-22 fighter prog.This airplane is awesome and cannot be defeated in the air. Well what do you expect? Bill Clinton balanced the budget by raping the defense budget. The blood will be on the admin.'s hands if we loose just one precious man or woman because of these cuts.

grateful for that. Better late than never. You have a lot to catch up on. You've obviously been asleep the last two terms….it's been quite an adventure. Look around you; have you noticed the disasters?? Conservatism was never apparent

the last two terms.

The national opinion seems to be to disregard you,

but I think we should listen to one and all…as long as we speak the truth as well as our heart.

As always, history is of the foremost importance and the voters determined not to repeat much of our recent past. Somebody was paying attention, at the very least.

You speak as though your fellowship is still running things; not so, but we should listen to your every opinion. A divided nation is the most dangerous of all. I just sat here and watched it happen; happy we're still here and all in one piece. Pray for your new administration; they are also yours for at least this term.

By the time Obama is done with us we'll have the United Nations dictating to what we can and can't do; terrorists (God forbid) will have us on the ropes; the Supreme Court will be stacked with Leftists; we'll be a socialist country in the mold of Western European countries; and the United States will just be some other country among all the other 2d rate countries. Our only hope is voting republicans in in 2010 and Obama out in 2012.

"According to the latest comparable figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, America accounted for 45% of the world's military spending—$1.2 trillion in 2007—more than the next 14 biggest countries combined."

You are forgetting that the republican conservative administration of the last 8 years liked to operate "off the books" by borrowing billions from China, Canada, and Japan to finance our military. So you are at least half a trill short.

And the plethora of panic struck folks in this space; The Repubs did this with a straight face while claiming to be "THE TAX CUTTERS". In other words, your children can pay the interest on top of the principle for these military expenditures.

How dumb is that. It's a hell of a lot poorer than having our (to use your ranting terminology) current socialist dictator asking the citizenry up front to pay their tab; i.e. taxes.

The Republican conservatives should at least have had the decency to ask us: "Was it good for you"?

"Traitors" Are people who betrays another's trust or is false to an obligation or duty. Or one who commits treason,according to Webster. I'm proud of my country but saddened,by the greed ,Lie's and the lack of loyalty shown by our politicians.I feel that Robert Gates has also been "Obamanized".What can he be thinking??? I guess that 911 never happened.GOD BLESS AMERICA and thanks be to all of those who served and died for our FREEDOM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Throughout history to this day, people and nations (including too many people in the United States of America), have “played” and followed that which is basically the same “Pied Piper” tune as that in this case by Secretary Gates and the Obama administration, and only too many have paid dearly (including with fortunes, lives and even their place as a nation), for playing it and following it accordingly into bondage and even destruction, or too often very nearly so as in the modern history case of the United States.

In fact, the repeatedly shown and proven lesson of history is that it is both such playing and following of such a “Pied Piper” tune, and forgetting or denying that history, which repeatedly proves and shows the fact that “those who forget (or deny) history are doomed to repeat it.”

Examples: Such a “Pied Piper” tune was played and followed here in the U.S. to World War I. Result? We were caught totally unprepared to make ourselves safe, let alone “win the war to end all wars” and “make the world safe for democracy”, as our military in 1917 (when the U.S. was provoked to enter the war by such as unlimited German submarine warfare) was so “cut”, under-equipped, and thus unprepared that grown American men were miserably clothed in things including what remained of woolen “uniforms” from the Spanish-American War in the 1890’s, and reduced to such as “training” with crudely cut sticks of wood and yelling “Bang!”

Oh but of course, to quite the so-called “prevailing wisdom” even then, “After such a war to end all wars there will be no more wars”, so again our defense department was “shifted”, (to use Gates’ word) accordingly.

But then came the so-called “surprise” Japanese attach at Pearl Harbor, and again we were caught “flat-footed”, unprepared and under-equipped to prevent, let alone win, yet another World War, as not only was the Pacific fleet very nearly wiped out at Pearl Harbor, but again grown American men were miserably stuck with not only out-dated but also insufficient equipment, etc, and so, if you really know your history, you also know that between the fanatical Japanese military and an extremely advanced and soon very nearly nuclear-equipped German military, we came much too near to losing that war, almost as soon as we ended up involved, and everyone around the world (including the U.S.) thus came much too near having to learn to speak German and say “Heil Hitler!”

Of course, after World War II, so-called “prevailing wisdom” prevailed again, which again caused us to get caught unprepared that time by a “third string” country called North Korea and that time “prevailing wisdom” so “prevailed” that no only did the Communist Chinese “human waves” end up making the outcome of that war very much in doubt, but our military was also not only under-equipped and unprepared, but was also made to “pull our punches” such that that war still isn’t fully and officially ended (an “armistice” by definition is only a temporary truce).

After that came the Vietnam War, which was completely run by Liberal politicians in Washington D.C., who thus proceeded to completely lose that one and leave South Vietnam to their leftist counterparts.

The next relatively major military engagement was called “Operation Desert Storm” which consisted of a multi-national alliance against Saddam Hussein. But of course, liberal “prevailing wisdom” prevailed again insofar as President George H.W. Bush refused to finish the job by taking out Saddam; that consequently encouraged both Saddam and the Islamic extremist Fascists, such as Osama Bin Laden and others, who then led us all to what’s known as “9/11”, as in the September 11, 2001 attack which destroyed the World Trade Center and killed more Americans and people from other countries than were killed at Pearl Harbor, and that caused President George H.W. Bush’s son, President George W. Bush to at least finish the job, which his father had refused to finish, of eliminating the multi-facseted threat against world peace and stability, and even murderous terror against his own people, of Saddam and his regime.

Of course, just like the then new “Blitzkrieg” or “Lightening War” of Hitler’s which started World War II, the Islamic Extremist Fascists, including (thanks to American Leftist policy), soon nuclear-armed Iranians such as Mahmoud Ahmadinijad, are taking up where Hitler left off and introducing us all to both the new kind of terrorist war not limited to “uniformed armies of nation-states” and “fifth column” style war, which Hitler also prescribed, pioneered, and predicted for the defeat enemies, such as us, from within.

Have you had enough examples of history repeating itself yet?

Evidently the Left in the U.S. has not had enough of forcing history to be repeated yet, as the Obama administration and their willing accomplices in academia, the media and elsewhere, are evidently “hell bent” on forcing it to be repeated again all too much like Neville Chamberlain and the “peace in our time” appeasement, etc., of his which helped force history to repeat itself in the form of World War II.

Except this time, especially because of the “fifth column” efforts of such as the Islamic Extremist Fascists and the international Socialist Left (including here in the U.S.), it’s only too possible that there will soon be no more “last, best hope of mankind” free United States of America, neither as we were founded, nor as we have known it, countless immigrants (including both our Founding Fathers and predecessors since) have risked everything, including their lives, to come here and know it, and so many veterans (including this writer) have sworn to, and indeed served, fought, and even died to protect it from all enemies, both foreign and domestic.

Great responses on the essential need to be well prepared. I'd like to add one more comment. America owes the international community only one apology. That is for the failing policies of the current administration and leftist majority in congress. They're doing a great job of opening the gates of hell along with all its destructive powers against our security and economic survival.

And the military is always the last to start losing funding from the Roman Empire to now. We spent more than the next 18 major powers combined in 2007, if that'll relax your head a bit.

If we continue to misunderstand the root causes of our economic decline, our nation is in great peril.

The Dems and Repubs are equally to blame politically. But our penchant for Globalism on Wall Street, at the Banks, and in our once US owned MultiNational Corporations are our problem. And the Fed, who is America's 3rd and preeminent political party, is their lobbyist. They are a private institution who meets with the nations bankers and then goes to Congress and tells Congress their policy! Are you kidding me.

The Money supply doubled from FDR's day unto Nixon's day. Since then, the money supply has redoubled 13 times.

The reason takes a deeper grasp, but it basically boils down to the fact that corporate America shipped our wealth generating industries overseas. Cars, (during the Korean war, initially), Energy (shipped to middle east – but we could have switched from carbon based enegy long ago…it is a security issue) and Agriculture (vast conglomerates on American soil and the very land are now owned by foreign interests) . They are the 3 big ones.

We need to get over rabid and destructive partisan politics and rejuvinate our exporting power. Loose the Fed and the IRS. We all pay flat 30% or whatever! Everybody! and on every dollar earned. Then we can give a hardy farewell to about 100,000 non value added lawyers.

Rants, soundbytes and name calling is something we all slip into. It usually is a frustration out of those of us who give a huge damn. We all need remember that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. We need more than intent. You can be intent on electing someon or not, but we need to discern what is really happening to the US economy and light the appropriate fires with facts.

Along with your recitation of "facts," why don't you just say what exactly should be defense spending as a percent of GDP? Or should we guess from a logical extension of your argument that defense spending should be EQUAL to non-defense spending – 50/50? Or perhaps defense should DOUBLE non-defense: 66/33? Or perhaps you'd like defense spending to be 7.3 times non-defense spending, rather than vica-versa? Since your premise appears to focus on the ratio between defense and non-defense spending, why don't you state as a fact what the ratio ought to be?

And while we are on the subject of "facts," President George W. Bush in 2007 asked for $505 billion for defense, about equal to – in real dollars – to what Ronald Reagan sought in 1988. In my opinion, both those requests are about right — around the 4-5% of GDP.

J.C.,

Let's look beyond your interpretation of what is "general welfare." Through a logical extension of the "general welfare" clause, the Constitution gives the federal government authority to REGULATE interstate commerce. REGULATE. Interference? Hardly. Was it not the Robber Barons during the Gilded Age whose exploitation of laborers was "interfered" with by anti-trust legislation, and later the NLRB – both of which are still on the books, incidentally? As for defense, are you suggesting that a 4-5% of GDP of defense spending is insufficient "to counter any threat"?

Shelpicker,

I'm Dr. Morales, and I've never been to Mexico except while serving in the Navy on the way from east coast to the South China Sea during Vietnam. Also, I've never been on welfare. The rest of your comment was very incoherent – I don't know what welfare has to do with the U.N.

4-5% of GDP on defense will allow Obama room for spending an additional 75% of GDP on his socialist takeover. Of course, his foreign communist contributors will make sure Obama's back is well scratched.

This administration is moving toward a world of global conversation and peace. Problem, without adult supervision, the kids will get in all kinds of trouble. It may be that the world, and the U.S., is tired of us being the world policeman but conversation and committees will yield nothing but talk. In the meantime, chaos will continue to expand and spread until there is another war – and we, under the Obama administration, will not be ready. We seem to be back in the 1930s, except now the enemy is us.

As John McCain discovered, the “socialism” label didn’t stick during the campaign, and your “socialist takeover” won’t either – at least not with those who know what socialism really means. A question I always ask is, “What is it about socialism that really scares you?” Is it government seeking control means of production? Certainly, you can’t claim that bailout of banks and GM are take-over bids – it was THEY who asked for help, not government seeking to take-over. Only the most severely deluded by the “socialism” scare tactic actually believe the take-over myth because they are as reactionary as McCarthy was during the Red Scare. Perhaps what scares you is that capitalist principles practiced absolutely cannot be sustained in America given the tradition of government’s active role fighting social and economic inequality initiated by the Progressive Movement of late 19th-20th century. Perhaps you’re scared that because principles of socialism have survived in America since the days of that movement, they will persist along with the prosperity and economic growth we have seen generally since then. Perhaps you’re scared that the President has inherited just the right circumstances and just enough political support to engineer the most significant progressive agenda since the New Deal – despite the finger crossing that the 2010 election will reverse things. Or perhaps it is concession that socialism – even communism – don’t really contain the evil you suggest, otherwise they would have been outlawed in America long ago … hasn’t happened and never will. Try as you might, neither you Hannity, Limbaugh, or McCain can scare those who truly understand socialism, in particular the many businessmen and women I speak to … none of which have any fears whatever that government is about to take them over.

[…] Robert Gates is trying to move the US military to focus on irregular forces. The Heritage Foundation blog has more on this, and they criticize the move, arguing that the US must be able to face both regular and irregular […]

Close minded is what you are if your still trying to adopt conservative attitues towards life and politics in general… wake up america and realize that you have a gift in this man. Just look at the respect you recieve from other countries because of this man as compared to Bush the idiot. Strive for peace instead of spending more money on a war you won't win. You ll end up fighting the world.. and loose… we r all in this together.. GOD bless THE WORLD

The sooner America disappears from the map the better for the world. The USA is a tyranny and had been since Lincoln defeated the "South". It has an army of occupation in 150 different countries ensuring decadent and degenerate "American" values are perpetuated (of course in the stolen clothes of Liberty),i.e the rule of money and corrupt corporations.

The political process in the US is a fake and a fraud. The people of the USA ; (it explains there idiocy and gullibilty in terms of religious belief) are just the worlds low IQ misfits, failures and freaks excreted from real nations.

The USA is a dictatorship by Capitalists from Wall street.

The core value of the USA is planetary rape -Which of course is unsustainable and not a value system to force on the peoples of an over crowded resource depleted world.

It is only this core value and a few European intellectuals that maintain US civilisation. Once US resources have run out the US will fall apart and justly revert to being the third world level country it should be.

The despised Cuba is more of a model sustainable society. Everyone can see this but Americans.

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